"The Mysore-Cincinnati Sister City agreement mooted by Lok Sabha member H. Vishwanath is invalid as the MP is not authorised to sign such Memoranda of Understanding," pointed out Corporation JD(S) leader T. Devaraj.

Addressing a press meet at Mysore City Corporation (MCC) premises here yesterday, Devaraj said: "Neither the MCC Commissioner nor Mayor was a party to the signing of the MoU and such an agreement may be deemed invalid. Representatives of people will not be in power forever. If the Mayor of Cincinnati and officers arrive in city with the MoU for further progress, they may not get the needed support from MCC officers thus lowering the prestige of the city."

Elaborating on the topic, Devaraj said: "Legally, the government or MCC Commissioner or Mayor has to sign such an important agreement. Vishwanath was only invited as a guest. Signing of the MoU without authori-sation by a competent authority has made the MCC a laughing stock in international level."

Continuing, Devaraj stated: "An invitation was sent to the MCC Commissioner and Mayor for the MoU-signing ceremony in Cincinnati, USA. However, the government did not permit the Commissioner to go to USA and the Mayor was pre-occupied to attend the ceremony. Nevertheless, to mobilise all the information regarding the agreement, an Advisory Committee too was constituted. The irony was Vishwanath's name was not included in the Committee. At the eleventh hour, the Mayor of Cincinnati extended an invitation to Vishwanath and accordingly, he went and signed the MoU. However, while going he was not in possession of any authorisation letter to sign the agreement.

"To make it worse, Vishwanath addressed a press meet on his return from Cincinnati and levelled allegations on MCC officers and people's representatives claiming that they were nonchalant and unresponsive to the proposal and hence he had to go to Cincinnati and sign the MoU."

Summing up, Devaraj said that he did not object to Vishwanath's trip to the USA but pointed out that the latter should have at least held discussions with the Mayor and MCC officials prior to his departure.

He urged Vishwanath to exercise restraint while speaking about MCC officials in the future.

Some time in January when one of the green anacondas died at the Mysore Zoo, there were apprehensions about the survival of remaining four large, non-venomous snakes. It subjected them to ultrasonographic tests. It has procured a sonography to help its veterinarians to diagnose the inmates better.

The conservation centre is equipped itself to take care of its inmates: It has a laboratory, drug store, portable radiographic machine, pneumatic tranquilizing equipments, squeeze cage for physical restraining of animals, holding rooms to quarantine animals and an artificial egg incubator. While there are infrastructure to attend to the needs of the injured or diseased animals, it has three vets to take care of 1,700 animals.

Skydiving is slowly catching up among adventure freaks in the city. More people are now taking to the thrilling aero sport to feel the adrenalin rush.

Incidentally, the Bollywood hit Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara appears to have generated some curiosity among the youth to experience skydiving. “The breathtaking skydiving scene by the leading stars in the flick captured the imagination of some adventure loving youth. Nine people from the city participated in a skydiving event held in Puducherry this year,” says D.S.D Solanki, who was part of the team.

The event, organised by Kakini Enterprises, New Delhi, was held in Puducherry airport recently. It was for the first time the Mysore-based International Academy of Mountaineering and Allied Sports (IAMAS) sent a team. Sandeep Reddy of IAMAS was the team leader.

Mr. Solanki told The Hindu that everyone could not afford skydiving as a single jump would cost about Rs. 18,000. “One jump needs two days of training. Skydiving is hugely popular in countries such as the United States, Spain and New Zealand,” he said.

“We got inquiries for skydiving from people who saw the movie. As I had experienced skydiving once at Palampur in Gujarat, we decided to send a team to Puducherry. The dive was from an approximate height of 5,000 ft,” he said.

The skydiving course includes theory, hands-on sessions, physical endurance tests and aircraft familiarisation. It requires high endurance and physical fitness.

After the training, the nine, who were armed with skydiving gear and the parachute, were permitted the static-line skydiving from a Cessna aircraft under the watchful eye of a jump master.

The jump was arranged separately for each diver.

“The skydive was allowed only after we understood the intricacies of skydiving. In static-line skydiving, the diver will be floating in air for about 10 seconds. That was the most exciting part,” Mr. Solanki said.

In accelerated freefall, the diver will be floating in the air for a longer time, may be for about 30 seconds, he added.

Mr. Solanki, who has been promoting adventure sports and coordinating Himalayan expeditions, said Mysore had a good potential for aero sports and more adventure-related activities need to conducted to encourage the youth.

City's Hotel Owners' Association has urged the Deputy Commissioner to initiate necessary action against Infosys which illegally provided lodging facilities to the delegates of the recently-held convention on space research.

Association President M. Ra-jendra, who led the delegation, submitted a memorandum in this context to DC P.S. Vastrad who was officiating as the in-charge CEO of Zilla Panchayat at his office here on Wednesday.

With due regards to the stature of Infosys, Rajendra stated in the memorandum that Infosys was providing boarding and lodging facilities to guests under the continental plan charging Rs. 4,000 per day which was illegal, evading statutory taxes and trade licence.

He further alleged that Infosys should provide accommodation to company trainees in the hostel and not use the facility as a lodge on a commercial basis.

The memorandum also pointed out that as Infosys rented out about 2,000 rooms in the campus to the delegates, city's hotel industry was deprived of profit.

Mysore, July 27- A modern ambulance, said to be an ICU-on-wheels, has been put into service at the Amba Vilas Palace for the use of ailing tourists visiting the Palace, who face emergencies.

The ambulance service, to be formally launched by the Deputy Commissioner this evening, is jointly funded by Sri Govindaraja Modaliyar Dhanabhagyamal Memorial Trust and the Rotary Mysore Midtown, each contributing Rs. 10.5 lakh, said Trust President Narendra Babu.

The ambulance service will be provided at half the rate of normal taxi charges; that is Rs. 7/km instead of Rs.14/km. For availing the ambulance service, call Mob: 7259251111 or 9901864111.

About the Trust

The Deputy Commissioner is the ex-officio President of the Trust which was constituted in 1954 by Tiru Vengada Modaliyar, in the name of his parents. The Trust has built a temple on a five acre plot of land at Chamundivana in Vidya-ranyapuram, which also has four houses and 30 shops, earning an income of around Rs. 12 lakh per annum. The Trust runs a DGTM Montessori School on 1.25 acres at Chamundivana and proposes to build a multi-speciality hospital in a tie-up with Maharaja Institute of Technology. The proposal awaits the DC’s approval, said Narendra Babu.

Vikram Hospitals Pvt. Ltd., as part of World Hepatitis Day-2012 and in its bid to create awareness among common people about Hepatitis, organised a Walkathon this morning. It was flagged off by DCP Basavaraj Malagathi from the Palace premises in which about 100 people participated.

The Walkathon, which began from the Balarama Gate, was joined by over 100 nursing students from Gopala Gowda Nursing School who held placards about Hepatitis, passed through Clock Tower in front of Town Hall, Gandhi Square, Dufferin Clock Tower, D.Devaraj Urs Road, J.L.B.Road before culminating at J.K.Grounds.

K.B.Ganapathy, Editor-in-Chief, Star of Mysore, T.S. Subramanya, Deputy Director, Palace Board and Mandya Ramesh, actor, who were the special invitees on the occasion, participated in the Walkathon.

Free screening and vaccination camp has been organised today and tomorrow from 11 am to 5 pm at Vikram Jyoth.

"Effective steps are being taken to make Lakshmanatheertha river, which flows through Hunsur town, pollution-free," said Ananth Hegde Ashisar, President, Western Ghats Task Force (WGTF).

He was addressing a press meet at the Deputy Commissioner's office here yesterday after inspecting Pashchimavahini near Srirangapatna.

"People have been dumping a garbage and plastic covers into Lakshmanatheertha. At a few places even sewage water gets in. First, the river water must be cleared of all waste materials and entry of contaminants should be stopped. In that context, discussion will be held with concerned departments and a report will be submitted to the government. WGTF is ready to conduct awareness camps on the importance of the river, ills of contaminating water and its detrimental effect on environment," explained Hegde.

Continuing, Hegde said, "WGTF has declared 15 km stretch of Shalmala river in Uttara Karnataka as a protected area and an action plan has been envisaged to grow more trees on either side of the river stretch. Similar steps will be taken for Lakshmanatheertha river also and a recommendation to that effect will be sent to the government."

"To preserve essential herbs, 13 places have been identified and another 10 will be added soon. Seethavana in Hunsur taluk is also included in the list," said Hegde, seeking good co-operation from the Forest Department, native doctors, villagers, ayurveda doctors, officers of AYUSH and religions institutions.

'I will do my work'

When reporters sought his reaction regarding the uproar in Assembly about the inclusion of Western Ghats in UNESCO Heritage list and a few Legislators seeking dismissal of Hegde who has hailed the inclusion, Hegde said that he would not react to the opinion of the Legislators but go ahead with his assigned work.

He reiterated his stand on Western Ghats and pointed out that it was his responsibility to take necessary steps for development works in the Ghats.

Mysore, July 28- The 3rd International conference on Solid Waste Management and exhibition of Municipal Services, Clean Technology and Machineries, ICONSWM-2012, with the theme Reduce, Reuse, Treatment of Waste, Environment Protection and Climate Change, organised jointly by Mysore City Corporation (MCC), Centre for Quality Management System, Jadavpur University and International Society of Waste Management, Air and Water (ISWMAW), will be held on July 30 at 10 am at the Mahatma Gandhi Auditorium in Infosys Leadership Institute (ILI) building in city.

The conference will be inaugurated by Saugata Roy, Union Minister of State for Urban Development. MLA M. Sathyana-rayana will be the chief guest while Mayor Rajeshwari Puttaswamy will be the guest of honour.

Opposition leader Siddaramaiah will inaugurate the exhibition and District In-Charge Minister S.A.Ramdas will preside.

Mysore, July 30- Union Minister of State for Urban Development Saugata Roy this morning inaugurated ICONSWM 2012, the 3rd International Conference on Solid Waste Management, at Mahatma Gandhi auditorium in Infosys Leadership Institute (ILI) campus in city.

Speaking on the occasion, Roy said that the issues related to solid waste management that get discussed in the conference must not remain in the papers alone but must be practically implemented and awareness must be spread among the people from all strata of the society. In view of the ever-increasing population of our country and the problem of solid waste management getting alarmingly bigger, it is essential that all cities must adopt modern methods of solid waste management and contribute towards protecting the environment and the natural resources.

The Minister also released a booklet of solid waste management brought out by the Mysore City Corporation (MCC) and gave away National Level Excellency awards to the institutions who have adopted effective solid waste management systems.

The awards were presented to Pune Municipal Corporation, Kalimpong University of West Bengal, Jubilant Life Sciences of Nanjangud, Tirupathi Tirumala Devasthanams and Khadri Manjunatha Swamy Temple in Mangalore.

Approximately 600 delegates from India and nine foreign countries are attending the conference featuring 40 sessions and presentation of 160 research papers.

The conference would focus on forming policies, innovative solutions in waste management, conversion of waste to energy and municipal governance.

The meet with the theme 'Reduce, Reuse, Treatment of Waste, Environment Protection and Climate Change,' is being organised jointly by MCC, Centre for Quality Management System, Jadavpur University and International Society of Waste Management, Air and Water (ISWMAW).

An exhibition of Municipal Services, Clean Technology and Machineries was also held on the occasion.

The historical Karnataka Soaps and Detergents Limited (KSDL), which manufactures international fame Mysore Sandal soap will be modernised with an investment of `22 crore to bring down cost of production and meet the huge demand for its products.

The state government owned KSDL is on the revival path after coming out of the red. The modernisation plan includes erection and commissioning of continuous Saponification plant for base soap manufacturing. Erection and commissioning of one new soap drying plant with latest technology. Erection and commissioning of one new 2 metric tons per hour capacity toilet soap finishing line with imported cutting and stamping machines and upgrading of the existing 1 metric ton per hour line by adding new indigenous milling machine and imported cutting and stamping machine, large and medium industries minister Murugesh Nirani said in a written reply to a question from NL Narendra Babu of Congress in Legislative Assembly.

“As the present soap manufacturing plant and other machineries are about 28 years old, and also to reduce the operating cost and to compete with other multinational soap companies in the market, the latest machineries are required. The estimated cost of the project is `22crore,” Nirani said.

KSDL was a pioneer in manufacturing Mysore Sandal Soap since nine decades.The unit is facing acute shortage of sandalwood since 2001 causing major concern for the company. The state government amended the Forest rule 103 in 2002 to make Sandalwood growers themselves the owners of the tree and also allow them to sell the sandalwood to public sector units.

Over 280 farmers have ventured into commercial inter plantation of Sandalwood along with other traditional plants spread over 3000 acres in Karnataka. Further the company is also exploring to set up its own Sandalwood captive plantation in Shimoga region for sustainable production of Sandalwood and seeking land for long lease to meet the growing demands for the next 50 years as part of the company’s concept of ‘Soil to Oil,” Nirani said.

Mysore, July 31- There is a bit of good news for fruit vendors of city who hitherto used to sell the items on narrow roads and lanes or at congested corners. Their long-pending demand of establishing an exclusive market for fruits seems to have materialised.

The Agricultural Produce Marketing Committee (APMC) is understood to be getting ready to establish a full fledged fruit market at the vacant RMC yard on New Sayyaji Rao Road in city.

The State Government is learnt to have issued an order to that effect a month ago and fruit merchants can sure heave a sigh of relief.

Good infrastructure

The RMC yard on conversion to a fruit market would have 150 stalls, 48 godowns and ample space for wholesale merchants. The whole area would be asphalted with good water facility, toilets and power supply, according to APMC Secretary Narasimhamurthy.

The city was learnt to be receiving tonnes of fruits through trucks and mini lorries every day and unloading that in the vicinity of Devaraja Market was said to be a big problem. The new market going to come up at RMC yard would sure ease the situation. However, Fruit Merchants and Commission Agents Association President Humayun feels that the RMC yard is not suitable for establishing the fruit market as the place is not spacious enough for movement of lorries. He says that a place near APMC yard in Bandipalya should be provided for fruit merchants who themselves will erect stalls and godowns.